Site sponsors

About The Local

10 French expressions to arm you for Valentine's Day

Understanding the linguistic subtleties of dating in your own language can be tricky enough – let alone in a foreign tongue. What’s the French word for French kissing? How do you say you want to “go Dutch” in France when the bill arrives at a fancy restaurant? Whether you’re complaining that your date has stood you up or you're recounting in raptures the details of your one night stand, The Local has listed some useful Gallic idiomatic expressions for you to help you navigate the French dating scene. From "lightining bolts", to "placing rabbits" and "dropping old socks" there are some great idiomatic French phrases for dating just itching to be used on Valentine's Day. Can you think of any more? Let us know in the comments section below.

"Un coup de foudre" - Lightning bolts can be lethal, of course. But in France "un coup de foudre" also means "love at first sight". Got a blind date planned for Valentine's Day? Let's hope you both get struck by the lightning of love.